Page:History of Iowa From the Earliest Times to the Beginning of the Twentieth Century Volume 3.djvu/282

sanction of that committee, as it was an attempt to create a title to an immense tract of land where no title had
ever been granted to the claimants. He further said that
a majority of the committee believed the whole proposition was wrong and that no part of the resolution
ought to be passed.

The entire debate on the resolution shows that the intent of Congress was first to protect the actual settlers
upon these lands and then permit the remainder of the
grant to be used by the State to make good the titles given
by sale of lands, by the State, to purchasers and settlers
and to quiet the titles.

On the 7th of April, 1862, the General Assembly of
Iowa passed a joint resolution requesting Congress to
grant or confirm to the State all of the odd numbered
sections known as river lands to the north line of the State
to be used in paying the just claims assumed by the State
against the Des Moines River improvement and in building a railroad along said river.

In compliance with this resolution Congress passed the
following act which was approved on the 12th of July,
1862:

“That the grant of lands to the then Territory of Iowa, for the improvement of the Des Moines River, made by Act of August 8th, 1846, is hereby
extended to include the alternate sections designated by odd numbers, lying
within five miles of said river, between the Raccoon Fork and the northern
boundary of the State; such lands are to be held and applied in accordance
with the provisions of the original grant, except that the consent of Congress is hereby given to the application of a portion thereof to aid in the
construction of the Keokuk, Des Moines and Minnesota Railroad, in accordance with the provisions of the act of the General Assembly of Iowa,
approved March 22, 1858. If any of the said lands shall have been sold
or otherwise disposed of by the United States before the passage of this
act; except those released by the United States to the grantees of the State
of Iowa under joint resolution of March 2d, 1861, the Secretary of the Interior is hereby directed to set apart an equal amount of lands within said
State to be certified in lieu thereof. Provided, that if the State shall have
sold and conveyed any portion of lands lying within the limits of this
grant, the title of which has proved invalid, any lands which shall be